After defeating Bangladesh in their next match to secure a spot in the final, Pakistan’s all-rounder Hussain Talat says the team is confident about winning the trophy.
Had they lost to Sri Lanka, their exit would have been almost certain. But this single win has ignited Pakistan’s confidence. A team once on the brink of elimination in the Super Four is now painting a picture of the trophy. Speaking about the victory over Sri Lanka, Talat, the match hero, says, “All we need are just two wins!”
In the group stage, Pakistan lost to India, and they were also defeated by their arch-rivals in the first Super Four match. The clash against Sri Lanka was essentially a fight for survival. In Abu Dhabi, Pakistan kept their finals hopes alive by defeating Sri Lanka by five wickets.
Pakistan’s bowlers performed brilliantly, restricting Sri Lanka to 133 runs. During the chase, the team lost five wickets at 80 runs at one stage, but Salman Ali Agar’s side eventually reached the target without further loss.
Talat starred with both bat and ball, taking two wickets in a single over and scoring an unbeaten 32 runs to earn the Player of the Match award. The 29-year-old all-rounder said the team was eager to win after not dwelling on the criticism following the loss to India.
“After that loss, none of us were happy. People wanted to see us win. We did what we had to against India, but there was no extra pressure today. Criticism is always there, but we tried to ignore it because it’s not good for the team. Today’s win was important.”
At one point, the match seemed headed for a thrilling finish. But Talat and Mohammad Nawaz ensured it ended smoothly, wrapping up the game with two overs remaining and keeping Pakistan’s run rate healthy.
Though the impact of the run rate may not be decisive in the end, it’s clear that Thursday’s clash against Bangladesh will effectively be a semi-final.
Talat is not just focused on that match but also believes in the team’s chances of lifting the trophy.
“We are optimistic. For the past four months, we’ve been playing consecutive T20s since Bangladesh toured Pakistan in May. There is trust within the team in our players. Previously, many players would be dropped after one or two matches, but now we are giving more opportunities, like other countries do.”
“We are just two wins away from the trophy, and we believe we can win it.”
